Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition)

By: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Constance Garnett - translator

Narrated by: George Guidall

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is universally regarded as one of literature's finest achievements, as the great Russian novelist explores the inner workings of a troubled intellectual. Raskolnikov, a nihilistic young man in the midst of a spiritual crisis, makes the fateful decision to murder a cruel pawnbroker, justifying his actions by relying on science and reason, and creating his own morality system. Dehumanized yet sympathetic, exhausted yet hopeful, Raskolnikov represents the best and worst elements of modern intellectualism. The aftermath of his crime and Petrovich's murder investigation result in an utterly compelling, truly unforgettable cat-and-mouse game. This stunning dramatization of Dostoevsky's magnum opus brings the slums of St. Petersburg and the demons of Raskolnikov's tortured mind vividly to life.

Translation by Constance Garnett, originally published in 1917.Public Domain (P)1991 by Recorded Books, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The novels of Dostoevsky are seething whirlpools...which hiss and boil and suck us in. They are composed purely and wholly of the stuff of the soul." (Virginia Woolf)

Fantastic but what else would you exect?

With Fyodor Dostoevsky as the author and George Guidall as the narrator, you would expect excellence and that's exactly what you get. I put this off because of the length, but it's worth every second. Don't overlook this one. A timeless classic; a timeless narrator.

Timeless Classic

Other than the novella “The Gambler” and the semi-autobiographical “House of the Dead”, this is Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s most accessible book. It is a timeless classic that is a must read. The characters that populate the book and the issues raised have not lost any of their meaning with the passage of time.

A Classic

On getting this book I thought this is going to be a difficult read because of the length.
Must admit, I did have to change my Ipod to something a bit more up-beat a few times during this listen or crack from depression. But all in all this is one of the classics and would give it a second chance.

Well Done

As he has in other audiobook recordings I've heard, G Guidell does an excellent job here in evoking characters with his engaging reading of dialogues. He's really suitable for this work. He helps this long audiobook hold together.

Psychodrama...waiting for the ax to fall

Great narration by George Guidall. Without George Guidall's narration I would have had difficulty reading this classic. I bought it in a fancy gold trimmed hardback 30 years ago and never read it. This story of self-pity, guilt, compassion, friendship, cruelty, cold blooded murder, and dignified repentance for one's sin's was a uphill journey of twisted human emotions, experienced without regret by this reader, because of George Guidall's skillful narration. I ask myself in reflection: " given enough poverty and pain and hopelessness-- at one time, could this be me or you or anyone?" Something to think about the next time one sees a forlorn homeless person. I recommend.

Prepare to be transported and transformed

This is a brilliantly narrated version of the classic book. And not a bad translation, either. Definitely worth a credit, and then some. Prepare to devote large chunks of time to this because you won't want to stop. The "action" is the self-righteous stream of consciousness rantings of the immortal anti-hero, Raskolnikov. One can't help but both loath him and cheer him on at the same time. Over 100 years since it was written and this story remains both entertaining and intelligent. This is dangerous, thought provoking writing at its very best.

A masterful rendition of Crime and Punishment

What made the experience of listening to Crime and Punishment (Recorded Books Edition) the most enjoyable?

The reading by Guidall does not detract from the text, and strikes the right balance between dramatizing and respecting Dostoevsky's prose. It is far better than any of the available renditions of the Brothers Karamazov.

More relevant now then I remembered

I read this about a decade ago and apparently my young, immature, soft mind could not adequately grasp the meaning of this book. Having read it a second time after life has had a chance to have its way with me. I feel that I have matured enough to begin to understand its philosophy. I was very surprised to find that the more things change the more they stay the same in the world. Economy is going to hell, our own "class" system is in the toilet, the poor and impoverished scrape to get buy, and the rich get richer. If this had not been written before the 1900's I would have said someone was trying to cash in on a social statement. As it stands it is a truly, epic, piece of work. Raskolnikov is everyone of us that has suffered and wanted so desperately for a way out that we contemplate the un-doable. Our troubling times now, seem to be reflected in the writing then. At times I felt I was reading about myself as life comes crumbling down around Raskolnikov. His own deeds chase him relentlessly, his guilt and anxiety worse then any sentence another man could lay upon him. It is a deep, albiet wordy philosophical journey. Although do not read too much between the lines. There are too many people trying to find symbols and metaphor where there are only words. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Great Classic.

Not only insights into the mind of a criminal but also into Russian poverty during the period and poverty in general and the reality of it.

Fantastic through and through

The compelling story and masterful reading made the 25 hours pass like nothing at all.